Katarina Mihajlovic, a student of the secondary School for Textile and Design in Leskovac, has won the first prize in the art contest for the 2017 calendar of the European PROGRES development programme, on the topic “Europe: A Wise Choice,“ whereas the second and third prizes went to Sandra Grbic from the Nova Varoš High School Pivo Karamatijevic and Milan Velickovic from the High School Svetozar Marković in Surdulica.
Katarina Mihajlovic
Janušauskas: The quality of our life is directly affected by our environment
Ramūnas Janušauskas, Head of Information, Communication and Press at the EU Delegation to Serbia, together with the Mayor of Novi Pazar Nihat Bisevac, presented a laptop computer, tablet computers and cell phones to 12 students whose works are featured in the calendar. High School Pivo Karamtijevic won the title of the best school according to the number and the quality of submitted works and was thus awarded with a computer and a projector.
“The quality of our lives is directly affected by our environment and your artwork proves that we all share the same goal – a tolerant, ecologically clean environment which prioritises personal and social development,“ said Ramūnas Janušauskas at the award ceremony held in Novi Pazar. As he put it, over the past 10 years during which the EU and the Government of Switzerland have supported the art contest, two generations of high school students have graduated who have presented their vision of the European Union creatively.
Sandra Grbic
“Europe: A Wise Choice“
This year’s topic “Europe: A Wise Choice” has inspired young artists from 30 secondary schools in Southeast and Southwest Serbia to present their take on the European Union by using the topics covered in the “Europa Diary” – a handbook for secondary schools – as guidelines. Judging by the works submitted, Europe is a wise choice because the EU membership would contribute to better environmental protection, better working and living conditions for farmers, more opportunities for travelling and education as well scientific and technological development in a society without discrimination, with equal opportunities for all.
In addition to the first three award-winning works, the pages of the 2017 European PROGRES calendar will also feature the works of Jana Mihajlovic from Leskovac, Kristina Jovic from Aleksinac, Lisina Dulaj from Bujanovac, Anica Petrovic from Leskovac, Nikola Nikolov from Surdulica, Luka Boskovic from Raska, Milena Filic from Leskovac, Sadmir Hamidovic from Sjenica and Milan Todorovic from Surdulica.
Milan Velickovic
“Europe – It’s You“
Addressing the students at the lecture within the “Europe – It’s You“ campaign, organised jointly by the EU and the Government of Switzerland through the European PROGRES programme, Ramūnas Janušauskas said that young people in Europe, in both Member States and candidate countries, enjoy numerous opportunities to improve their knowledge and realise their potential.
“Today, you will learn more about getting a scholarship, acquiring professional practice, or learning a new language in one of the EU countries. I hope that the campaign will inspire you to take advantage of numerous opportunities that Europe offers, and those who persevere and succeed will be the driving force behind the development of this area, as well as of the region and Europe,” said Janušauskas.
While presenting the opportunities offered by the EU, a member of Team Europe Teo Taraniš stressed that, as proven by the past experience, young people in Novi Pazar were interested in topics related to the process of European integration.
“It is important, however, to bring this process closer to young people in order to make them better understand the concrete benefits that they can enjoy, and precisely that is the goal of the campaign “Europe – It’s You”. Education and volunteering programmes for young people, especially Erasmus+ and the European Volunteer Service, are just a part of what is available to young people from this region,” said Taraniš.
Through a series of activities and events that will be organised within the campaign in Southeast and Southwest Serbia by June 2017, the youth and the general public will have an opportunity to learn more about European integration and the ways in which the process can have a positive impact on their personal development, as well as the development of their communities.
Support for young entrepreneurs
Ramūnas Janušauskas, Head of Information, Communication and Press at the EU Delegation, also visited a young entrepreneur Almedin Muratović who was granted sewing machines, with the support of the EU and the Government of Switzerland, through European PROGRES, and who will start his own production of baby and children clothes.
предузетник Алмедин Муратовић
“With my own production, quality and experience in working on sewing machines, I can be competitive in the market, and I also plan to employ my fellow citizens,” said the twenty-six year old from Novi Pazar, who has been granted nearly EUR10,000 worth of equipment.
Through European PROGRES, the European Union and the Swiss Government together with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, support a number of initiatives that aim to boost employment in 34 underdeveloped municipalities in Serbia. Almedin Muratovic is one of the 22 young entrepreneurs who have received support of around EUR180,000 to start their own business and, in the long run, contribute to the creation of jobs and boosting of competitiveness of the local economy.
Mayor Nihat Biševac said he was pleased at the fact that Novi Pazar, being the youngest city in Serbia according to the average age of its citizens, was chosen to host the events which bring together young people and offer them an opportunity through European programmes, such as the European PROGRES, to broaden their knowledge, acquire practical experience and start a business. “We hope that you will use your knowledge to improve your cities and municipalities and thus contribute to the convergence to European standards in all fields,” said Bisevac.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland will support the activities of the European PROGRESS programme, which contributes to the sustainable development of the South and South West Serbia, with a total of EUR24.46 million. Approved projects will be aimed at strengthening local administration, creating a favourable environment for the development of infrastructure and economy as well as improving the implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
The municipalities included in the programme are as follows: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in South West Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in South East Serbia.
